Joe Fain is an American attorney, politician, and businessman who served as a member of the Washington State Senate for the 47th district from 2010 to 2019. Fain was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. Fain served as the Senate minority floor leader during the 2018 legislative session. In 2018, Fain was narrowly unseated by Mona Das.
Fain was the youngest elected member of the Washington State Senate and served on the Senate's Transportation, Early Learning and K-12 Education, and Financial Institutions, Housing and Insurance committees. Fain also served as vice-chair the Legislative Evaluations and Accountable Program which is the legislature's source of budget data and analysis. Prior to the 2013 session, Fain was elected as the Senate's majority floor leader and named to the Senate majority's leadership team, transportation budget leadership cabinet and Rules Committee. In 2011, Fain worked with fellow South King County lawmakers to allocate funding to the King County Flood Control District for repairing homes and businesses damaged during extended flooding. In 2012, he secured additional money in the state's capital construction budget for the Briscoe and Desimone levees. Fain has also worked to secure transportation funding for new infrastructure throughout South King County aimed at increasing road capacity and improving freight mobility. The 2011 and 2012 transportation budgets included money for major thoroughfares like I-5, I-405, SR 167 and SR 18, in addition to surface street maintenance and safety improvements in Kent, Auburn and Covington. In 2013, Fain spearheaded an effort to restore funding for state food assistance, which provides grocery money for low-income immigrant families. By working with Democratic and Republican colleagues he was able to secure an additional $9 million in the new state budget to increase benefits by 50 percent. As majority floor leader, Fain was also successful at bringing the Safe Streets Bill up for a vote ahead of a deadline for passing legislation. The measure makes it simpler for cities to reduce speed limits on neighborhood streets, greatly improving public safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and other motorists. The Legislature improved security at Washington's courthouses through a plan co-sponsored and advocated by Fain. The bill increased the penalty for assault on courthouse property and allows judges to consider the location during sentencing. Fain worked with colleagues in the Legislature and Washington's Attorney General Bob Ferguson to enact the changes. A temporary increase of the state's business and occupation and beer tax was scheduled to end in June 2013, but Washington's governor and House of Representatives proposed making these permanent. With improving revenues and a growing state economy Fain worked with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure the increases ended as scheduled, reducing the burden on small- and medium-sized businesses statewide.
Sexual assault allegation
On September 28, 2018, a Seattle resident alleged via Twitter that Fain had raped her. Governor Jay Inslee responded to the claims, stating, "this is a very serious allegation that unquestionably deserves a full investigation by law enforcement officials." After the November general election, plans for an investigation were announced, despite Fain's defeat by opponent Mona Das. The investigation was suspended in December 2018.
Personal life
Fain lives in Auburn, Washington, with his wife Steffanie and their two children.
